The following information is provided to assist the reader in understanding technologies disclosed below and the environment in which such technologies may typically be used. The terms used herein are not intended to be limited to any particular narrow interpretation unless clearly stated otherwise in this document. References set forth herein may facilitate understanding of the technologies or the background thereof. The disclosure of all references cited herein are incorporated by reference.
Acute and chronic lung diseases are prevalent in the United States, being the third leading cause of death in the United States. Mortality associated with acute respiratory distress syndrome or ARDS remains between 40% and 60%. The conventional interventions include mechanical ventilation (MV) and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). Those treatments, while effective in the short term (for example, over a period of 1 to 2 weeks) can be harmful long term. In that regard, it is challenging to ambulate and rehabilitate while on MV or ECMO. The only viable treatment currently available is lung transplant. However, the wait times on the transplant list can be several months. Thus, there is a clinical need for a long-term ambulatory support device that can replace MV and ECMO (for example, to minimize wait list mortality).